Bent jets and tailed radio galaxies

The observationally defined properties of tailed radio sources are reviewed with particular emphasis on the characteristics of bent jets. A comparison is made between the structures found in straight and bent jets. It is demonstrated that the curvature of jets associated with narrow-angle tailed galaxies can provide a strong constraint on the average velocity of the plasma flow - a contraint not possible for straight jets. It is also shown that the wide-angle tailed sources must be bent by a mechanism other than dynamic pressure resulting from motion through the intercluster medium. (Auth.)